<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Day 230 by Josh_the_Bard</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25982299">Day 230</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard'>Josh_the_Bard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [230]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:35:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25982299</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [230]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Day 230</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Alic led his team through the tunnels the Carta had been digging, he started to hear a familiar voice in his mind. The tunnels were lit, not by the lava flows that was the signature of the ancient dwarven builders, but my more traditional torches. These cast flickering, sinister, light throughout the tunnels. Nalanna tried to help by coaxing her staff to give off a more steady light, but the soft blue color only seemed to make the tunnel feel like it was underwater.</p><p>Their feet made a soft crunching noise on the rubble of the new tunnel. Alic was trying to keep aware for Darkspawn or Carta ambush but the voice was making it difficult.</p><p>“How many lives must be lost before you see the truth?” it asked. “I must be free.”</p><p>Alic had heard that voice before. Back when he first joined the Wardens, he had been serving under Commander Laurius and they had been trying to maintain the seals set in place by the ancient wardens. Seals that contained an ancient evil. The last time they had needed to find a powerful apostate to work in this area because-</p><p>“Nalanna,” he whispered. “You need to get out of here.”</p><p>“What?” she stammered. “Alic I’m ready to face anything we-”</p><p>“That’s an order,” he snapped. “There is something down here that preys on Warden mages. Return to the Hanged Man and wait for us there.”</p><p>The elf looked like she wanted to argue further but nodded and set out back the way they had come. The rest of the group grew more intense as they continued further along. They had yet to run into any Darkspawn or dwarves, but that only seemed to keep them more on edge. If Darkspawn avoided a place, there was usually a reason.</p><p>“Command is my domain,” said the voice. “I am the Conductor they come to me when I call, because they sense their salvation. A salvation you could share if only you would follow the song.”</p><p>“What is that voice,” asked Bert. The man had his bow drawn and an arrow notched, Alic was worried the man might fire randomly if startled. Laurius had sworn his men to secrecy the last time they were there. Alic had resolved to take the secrets to his grave, but he needed his men to be at their best.</p><p>“A powerful Darkspawn emissary,” he said. “It can communicate through the Blight; like an Archdemon.”</p><p>“How long will you fumble in the dark before you embrace the silence?” asked the voice. “The world is in chaos. No sits in the Golden Throne.”</p><p>“What is it talking about?” Kuno asked. “The Golden Throne?”</p><p>“The seat of the Maker,” Jonas replied. He had been a Chantry brother before catching the taint in a Darkspawn attack. Kuno was an Avvar scout who had joined after the Blight but had not wanted to remain in Ferelden. He had not grown up on stories of the Golden City.</p><p>“It must be referring to the first violation,” Jonas continued. “How old is this emissary?”</p><p>“Old,” Alic replied. “Darkspawn don’t age. If no one sticks a sword through it, a Darkspawn could live forever.”</p><p>“The other had already embraced the silence. She heeds no Calling but mine.”</p><p>“Halt.” The group stopped short at the mysterious female voice. The sound of footsteps continued for a heartbeet longer than it should have.</p><p>“Janeka, I presume?” Alec asked. A woman in the rayments of a Warden mage stepped into the light from the tunnel ahead. Dwarves emerged from the shadows all around. Alec cursed himself for a fool. They had not encountered anyone because the Carta had been following them unseen and not one of his party had noticed.</p><p>“You have diturbed important work here,” Janeka said. “Return to where you came from.”</p><p>“We have been sent by the Warden Commander to investigate your operations, Alic said. “There are concerns you have deserted our cause.”</p><p>“And what cause is that?” Janeka asked.</p><p>“Protecting Thedas from the Blight!” Jonas shouted. Alic shot the priest a stern look. Alic had never known the man to speak out of turn. It seemed that the voice had unnerved him more then the rest.</p><p>“There is an ancient evil here,” Alic said. “One that is not to be trifled with.”</p><p>“Wardens oppose the Blight,” Janeka said. “But to become what we are we must take the taint within ourselves and harness its power. If we wait possibly for the next blight, how many more innocent lives will be swallowed bi the darkness. What I am doing will reduce the thread of Darkspawn permanently.”</p><p>“If… if we could harness the power here to prevent more suffering in the future...” Kuno ventured.</p><p>“Blasphemy,” Jonas whispered. “It was such hubris that began the Blights.”</p><p>“Come with me,” Janeka said motioning behind her. “Before you render judgment on me, let me show you all I have learned.”</p><p>Alic glanced back at the Carta following them and nodded. He doubted anything Janeka would say could convince him, but he was concerned that she might command her followers to attack if they refused. The group followed and Janeka turned down a tunnel with no torchlight, plunging the group into darkness.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>